"Many Photos" - Guildford pub bombings inquests should resume, coroner rules

The inquests into the 1974 Guildford pub bombings which killed four soldiers and a civilian are to resume, more than 40 years after they were suspended.

Soldiers Caroline Slater, 18, William Forsyth, 18, John Hunter, 17, and Ann Hamilton, 19, and civilian Paul Craig, 22, died in the blast - carried out by the IRA at the height of the Troubles - at the Horse and Groom pub popular with soldiers on October 5 1974.  

Original inquest proceedings were suspended when the so-called Guildford Four - Gerry Conlon, Paul Hill, Paddy Armstrong and Carole Richardson - were convicted over the bombings in 1975.

Four soldiers and a civilian died when a bomb went off in the Horse and Groom pub in 1974

They were handed life sentences, but had their convictions overturned in 1989, and their case became one of the best-known miscarriages of justice in British legal history.

Surrey Coroner Richard Travers today agreed that an inquest was necessary following a campaign from the families of victims, survivors, and those wrongfully imprisoned to complete the hearings. 

The coroner said the hearing would seek to examine details such as the location and precise time of the blast, who was with the victims at the time, whether the victims died immediately and the response of the emergency services.

Mr Travers added: 'This case is not of such antiquity that it should be considered ancient history.'

Outlining the reasons for resuming the inquest, Surrey senior coroner Richard Travers told Woking Coroner's Court: 'I do recognise a number of key witnesses will have died or be very elderly.

'But the clientele (of the pub) were fairly young and so many will only be in their 60s or 70s.' 

The coroner said the resumed inquest would not have the scope to explore who was responsible for the bomb, the composition of the explosive device or any claims police lied during the trial of the so-called Guildford Four.

 

 

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News Photo Guildford pub bombings inquests should resume, coroner rules
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